Coming October 27th
From ATD Press
The Upside of
Downside Thinking
A Premortem Approach to Better Decision Making
About the Book
Why does human confidence so often lead to avoidable mistakes?
The Upside of Downside Thinking explores this question and introduces a simple shift in thinking that can change everything: premortem thinking.
Blending psychology, human behavior, and real-world decision failures, this book offers a clear framework for identifying risks, challenging assumptions, and making better decisions in uncertain environments.
This book helps smart people avoid avoidable mistakes.
The Framework
RISK: A practical system for applying premortem thinking to real decisions.
Recognize the Threats
Identify the risks that could derail your decision before they become problems.
Imagine the Disaster
Envision failure vividly to uncover hidden vulnerabilities in your plan.
Solve for Vulnerabilities
Address weaknesses proactively and pressure-test your assumptions.
Kickstart the Solutions
Turn potential failure into actionable insight and implement safeguards.
Praise
“If you're not regularly asking, 'What could go wrong?' you're not being optimistic—you're being reckless. The Upside of Downside Thinking is the wake-up call every leader needs.”
About the Author
Matthew Confer is the Chief Strategy Officer at Abilitie.
Abilitie is a Leadership Development company based in Austin, Texas that provides immersive business simulations to a global client base that includes over 50 members of the Fortune 500. Their programs have been delivered to over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries.
Matthew has spoken on decision making at TEDx with a talk entitled “Before You Decide” that has been viewed over 500,000 times. He also hosts the Learn To Lead Podcast, speaking with authors, professors, and business leaders about developing the leaders of tomorrow.